Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship have been tight ever since the former Iowa State All-American cornerback signed with the Eagles in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The chemistry was so natural that the two created a hit podcast, “Excitement Mic,” after taking on the nickname that is a favorite among Excite White fans.
The NFL is a business, and while they’ll likely remain podcast partners, their on-field ties were severed Monday when Blankenship agreed to a three-year, $24.75 million contract with Texas defensive juggernaut Blankenship. DeJean leads all NFL slot CBs in PFF coverage grade (79.3), catch rate allowed (61.4%), passer rating allowed (55.4) and yards per coverage snap allowed (0.72) (minimum 350 coverage snaps as slot CB; minimum 50 targets). Dejean never allowed the passing defender to serve as the open CB.
Blankenship’s average annual salary of $8 million puts him among the top 20 highest-paid safeties, but it’s a huge raise for a former undrafted free agent who developed into a solid safety out of Middle Tennessee and played his first two seasons at the NFL’s minimum salary before receiving an escalator and a one-year extension. Blankenship, 26, has been a starter the past three seasons, appearing in 50 games and recording nine interceptions.
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This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Cooper DeJean shares reaction to Reed Blankenship’s free-agent exit